Going into the season, many thought the Nov. 1 matchup between Ohio State and Penn State would be a clash of top 5 titans. Instead, an unranked 3-4 Nittany Lions team heads to Columbus next Saturday.
Here are five things you need to know about Saturday’s matchup against Penn State.
1. Eight-game winning streak
Ohio State has dominated this series as of late, winning eight straight matchups against Penn State. The last win for the Nittany Lions came in 2016, when Penn State blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown in a 24-21
classic in State College.
Since then, Ohio State has won a string of closely contested games, with five of the last eight being one-score games and the largest margin of victory being just 13 points.
2. The Franklin-less Nittany Lions
Looking ahead to this matchup, it is impossible to stick to the players on the field. James Franklin, the longtime Penn State head coach, was fired just two weeks ago.
This will be the first Ohio State-Penn State matchup without Franklin on the sideline since 2014. Interim coach Terry Smith lost his coaching debut on the road against Iowa as Penn State fell to 3-4 overall.
3. Jim Knowles
Ohio State won the national championship on Jan. 20, and days later the man at the helm of the Buckeyes’ No. 1 rated defense left for rival Penn State. Jim Knowles took a $3 million dollar salary and took his talents to State College in the midst of Ohio State celebrating a championship.
To myself, and many Buckeye fans, Knowles’ decision was a gut punch. Yet, somehow, someway, Ohio State may have landed an even better defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia. Regardless, Saturday’s game is a bit of a revenge game for Ohio State, as they seek to remind Knowles what it is that he willingly left behind.
4. Quarterbacks
Julian Sayin, in his eighth start, will be the more experienced quarterback on the field on Saturday. Adding on to Penn State’s nightmare season, veteran starting quarterback Drew Allar was lost for the season due to an injury.
In his place is Ethan Grunkenmeyer, a freshman out of Ohio. Grunkenmeyer will be making his second ever start when the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus.
This is a prime opportunity for Matt Patricia’s defensive unit to wreak havoc on a young, inexperienced quarterback.
5. Two-touchdown (+) favorites
In a shocking twist relative to what nearly every expert would have predicted, 3-4 Penn State comes into Columbus as more than 20-point underdogs, and is still searching for its first conference win in week 10. Penn State has suffered four straight losses to Oregon, UCLA, Northwestern, and Iowa.
In this modern “rivalry” between Ohio State and Penn State, we have come to expect playoff implications and top 10 rankings on the line. Saturday’s matchup could not be more different.
I get the sense that Penn State wishes there was a fast-forward button to skip through this stretch of the season as they get to host No. 2 ranked Indiana after their trip to Columbus.
